Mooring devices for ships



July 14, 1959 w. M. HUTCHISON ET AL 2,894,475

MOORING DEVICES FOR SHIPS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F'i'ied May 7, 1956 /Nl ENT'088.'

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. July 14, 1959 V w. M. HUTCHISON EI'AL 2,894,475

MOORING DEVICES FOR SHIPS Filed May 7, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WILL/6M MILL-4 lvrcwraow KEN/VET WILLIE/7 Harm:

,awrale wsqq V MOORING DEVICES FOR SHIPS William Miller Hutchison and Kenneth William Hopkins, London, England, assignors to Brown Lenox and Company Limited This invention relates to mooring devices for ships.

The customary procedure for mooring tanker vessels when utilizing heavy wires is as follows:

The shore end of the wires usually have a maiden eye, or are fitted with a thimble. A hempen rope in the form of a closed loop is passed over a bollard on the quayside and then through the eye or thimble in the shore end of the wire; the closed loop is then passed back over the bollard so that the wire is retained. When it is desired to release the wire it must first be slackened to allow the closed loop to be removed from the bollard, or in an emergency the hempen rope must be cut through to release the heavy wire. It will be apparent that this process cannot be carried out expeditiously, and this constitutes a disadvantage which may become very serious in an emergency. A further disadvantage is that the closed loop when not in use is normally left on the bollard where, being usually made of hempen rope, it is subject to deterioration.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a quick release mechanism for the mooring wires of ships.

According to the invention, a mooring device for a ship comprises an arm for engaging an eye in the mooring wire, retaining means engageable with the arm for retaining the arm in a position which prevents release of the mooring wire, the retaining means being readily disengageable from the arm, and securing means to which the arm and retaining means are pivoted and which is adapted to be secured to a place of mooring such as a quay or jetty, the shape of the arm and arrangement of parts being such that a mooring wire held by the device may be released by disengaging the retaining means from the arm and applying tension to the mooring wire.

Advantageously the retaining means comprises a U- shaped member the open end of which is pivoted to the securing means and the closed end of which is engageable over the arm. Means may be provided for maintaining the U-shaped member in engagement with the arm.

The securing means may advantageously comprise an elongated horizontal member pivoted at one end about a vertical member, the arm and retaining means being pivoted about horizontal axes perpendicular to the length of the horizontal member.

Disengagement of the retaining means from the arm may be effected manually, or electro-magnetic means, operable for example by a push button, may be provided for that purpose.

The invention will be now described by way of exampie with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mooring device and Figure 2 is a plan corresponding to Figure l, and

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a modified arrangement and Figure 4 is a plan of the modified arrangement of Fig. 3.

atent "ice Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, two horizontal bars 10 and 11 are bolted on to two spacing blocks 12 and 13 and are integral with a sleeve 14. A curved arm 15 and a U-shaped member 16 for engaging over it are pivoted on pins 17 and 18 which pass through the bars 10 and 11 and are secured thereto. The sleeve 14 is pivoted about a pin 19 which passes through a coupling member 20 and is secured thereto. The member 20 is secured to a bollard 21 by brackets 22 and 23 bolted together in position. A pin 24 prevents disengagement of the arm 15 and member 16.

In operation, the eye or thimble in the mooring wire passes round the pivoted curved arm 15 which is then engaged under the pivoted U-shaped member 16 and secured in position by means of the pin 24. If it is required to release the mooring wire quickly the pin 24 is removed and the U-shaped member knocked free from the curved arm, e.g. with a hammer, whereupon the tension in the mooring wire will cause the curved arm to swivel downwards and release the mooring wire.

Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, the units 25, which are of the type described above, are pivoted to members 26 and 27 on opposite sides of a bollard 28, the members 26 and 27 being secured to the bollard 28, by means of brackets 29 and 30 which are keyed to the bollard as shown at 31 to prevent rotation. A rubber bufier 32 is arranged on the jetty so that the curved arms 15 can fall on to it.

The method of operation is the same as for the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2. This arrangement would be used with two mooring Wires close together, such as in the case of backsprings.

We claim:

A mooring device for a ship, comprising a relatively stationary coupling member for connection fixedly to a place of mooring; an elongated support member extending horizontally outwardly from said stationary coupling member, said elongated support member, at its inner end, being cantilever-supported by and pivotally connected to said coupling member for swinging movement relative thereto on a vertical axis; an arm for engaging an eye in a mooring wire of the ship, said arm being pivotally connected to said horizontal support member at substantially the free end of the latter, for swinging movement relative thereto on a horizontal axis perpendicular to the length of said elongated support member; and, a U- shaped member whose closed end is readily engageable with and disengageable from said arm, for releasably retaining said arm in a position which prevents release of a mooring wire engaged thereby, said U-shaped retaining member being pivotally connected at its open end to said elongated support member, for swinging movement relative thereto on a horizontal axis perpendicular to the length of said elongated support member, the shape of said arm and the arrangement of parts being such that a mooring wire held by the mooring device may be released by disengaging the U-shaped retaining member from said arm and applying tension to the mooring wire.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 767,298 Louis Aug. 9, 1904 1,141,807 Lucia June 1, 1915 2,095,843 Sullivan Oct. 12, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS 21,675 France Sept. 7, 1920 

